Rainfall in Mexico: 66 dead and 75 missing

As of yesterday, the rains in Hidalgo, Veracruz, Puebla, Querétaro and San Luis Potosí have left 66 dead, 75 missing and 191 towns cut off , reported Claudia Sheinbaum 's government.

In response to criticism of her government's response to the emergency, the president, during her morning press conference at the National Palace, rejected the idea that her government isn't acting because there are no resources and asserted that her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, received the National Disaster Fund (Fonden) with virtually no resources.

“(On October 21, 2020) the then Secretary of the Treasury, Arturo Herrera , (declared) that the only thing the Fonden had from the 2017 earthquake was pure debt. In other words, it had no money. So for all those who say that the quite corrupt trust disappeared, well no (…), what they left President López Obrador was pure debt,” he said.

He assured that there is an emergency budget of 19 billion pesos. "There are sufficient resources to support the emergency, and in addition to the generous support provided by many people, there are sufficient resources to address the emergency, for reconstruction, and to support every household."

Sheinbaum promised that her government will provide comprehensive support to people who have lost a loved one , in addition to the support being given to the states.

He noted that the federal government has insurance with Agroasemex to restore infrastructure damaged by the rains, such as schools and roads.

He said that the Secretary of Education, Mario Delgado , is conducting a census of the affected schools.

The Secretary of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation, Jesús Esteva , detailed that 111 towns in Hidalgo remain isolated; 29 in Puebla; three in Querétaro; two in San Luis Potosí; and 46 in Veracruz.

In the afternoon, Sheinbaum visited Tamazunchale , San Luis Potosí, and the municipal seat of El Higo , Veracruz. First, the president, accompanied by Governor Ricardo Gallardo , visited the area affected by the flooding of the Tamazunchale River .

He reiterated that once the census is completed, the first phase of assistance includes immediate support for cleanup efforts, followed by infrastructure maintenance. In El Higo, he supervised the cleanup efforts and informed the population about the census and support.